Pathway to my presence

Pathway to my presence

Youth and Family Support Centers in Astana: A Comprehensive Approach to Health and Wellbeing

In Astana, Kazakhstan, a network of youth and family support centers is making a significant impact on the lives of children, adolescents, and families. These centers serve as vital hubs for reproductive, mental, and overall health services, addressing the unique needs of young people and complementing broader child protection initiatives.

The Ozindi Tap center, located within city polyclinic No. 10, specializes in child-parent relationships, low self-esteem, and depressive states. This modern five-story building is visited by 100 to 200 people per month, cultivating the philosophical idea of "The Path to Oneself" for children and their parents.

Meanwhile, the Shuak youth health center, based at city polyclinic No. 5, caters to approximately 6650 schoolchildren across eight schools in the city. In addition to providing a wide range of services for children and youth aged 10 to 29, the Shuak center addresses issues such as bullying and family conflicts.

Both centers play a crucial role in raising awareness about the necessity of youth health centers, focusing on both teenagers and adults. They strive to fill knowledge gaps and common health challenges faced by young people, particularly in the areas of sexual and reproductive health.

The centers provide accurate, confidential reproductive and sexual health information and services, helping to raise awareness and prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and substance use risks like vaping. They also offer education, counseling, and clinical services to promote the prevention and early treatment of STIs, nicotine addiction, and other health threats relevant to adolescents and young adults.

Beyond sexual health, the centers address mental health challenges by offering culturally sensitive support, facilitating access to care, and promoting social connectedness. This approach is key to reducing psychological distress and loneliness among young people.

The Janūya center, a centre of analytical and methodological functions, collects data, evaluates the effectiveness of assistance provision, and prepares proposals for improving family support policy. Since the beginning of the year, 49 families have been taken under social support by the Janūya center, with individual plans created for each family, including assistance with document acquisition, employment, and participation in support programs.

The Janūya center also handles over 1500 cases in six months, including divorces, drafting agreements, and helping families reconcile. They provide initial assistance to affected women and children, referring them to appropriate institutions.

Efforts to support families extend beyond the city limits, with eight crisis centers working in the direction of preventing and responding to domestic violence. The Janūya Family Institute Support Center is part of a pilot project implementing the FSM Social mobile app, with over 470 specialists trained to use this innovative tool.

Operational support chats have been established in regions for the FSM Social mobile app, and the centers have been attached to 6 educational institutions. The Shuak youth health center, for instance, is currently covering eight schools in the city.

In total, there are 11 youth health centers and 1 family support center operating in the capital, each playing a vital role in ensuring the holistic well-being of Astana's youth from early childhood to adolescence. These centers align with UNICEF's child protection and health promotion efforts, aiming to protect children from violence, abuse, and neglect, ensuring their safety and healthy development.

1. These youth and family support centers in Astana focus on health and wellbeing, providing reproductive, mental, and overall health services.
2. The Ozindi Tap center, located within city polyclinic No. 10, helps children and parents with child-parent relationships, low self-esteem, and depressive states.
3. The modern five-story Ozindi Tap building is visited by 100 to 200 people per month, promoting the philosophy of "The Path to Oneself."
4. Shuak youth health center, based at city polyclinic No. 5, caters to approximately 6650 schoolchildren across eight schools in the city.
5. The Shuak center provides a wide range of services for children and youth aged 10 to 29, addressing issues like bullying and family conflicts.
6. Both centers work towards raising awareness about the importance of youth health centers, focusing on teenagers and adults.
7. They aim to fill knowledge gaps and common health challenges faced by young people, particularly in areas like sexual and reproductive health.
8. The centers offer accurate, confidential reproductive and sexual health information and services.
9. They strive to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and risks like vaping among adolescents and young adults.
10. The centers promote the prevention and early treatment of STIs, nicotine addiction, and other health threats relevant to young people.
11. Beyond sexual health, the centers address mental health challenges by offering culturally sensitive support.
12. They promote social connectedness, key to reducing psychological distress and loneliness among young people.
13. The Janūya center, a center of analytical and methodological functions, collects data and prepares proposals for improving family support policy.
14. The Janūya center has taken 49 families under social support this year, creating individual plans for each family.
15. They handle over 1500 cases in six months, including divorces, drafting agreements, and helping families reconcile.
16. Efforts to support families extend beyond city limits, with eight crisis centers working to prevent and respond to domestic violence.
17. The Janūya Family Institute Support Center is part of a pilot project implementing the FSM Social mobile app.
18. Over 470 specialists have been trained to use this innovative tool in the project.
19. Operational support chats have been established in regions for the FSM Social mobile app, and the centers have been attached to 6 educational institutions.
20. The Shuak youth health center is currently covering eight schools in the city.
21. In total, there are 11 youth health centers and 1 family support center operating in the capital.
22. These centers aim to protect children from violence, abuse, and neglect, ensuring their safety and healthy development.
23. They align with UNICEF's child protection and health promotion efforts.
24. Mental health, substance abuse, and sexual health are some of the issues these centers address.
25. The centers also play a role in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as chronic kidney disease, COPD, type-2 diabetes, cancer, and neurological disorders.
26. The centers offer therapies and treatments for skin conditions like psoriasis and encourage skin care practices.
27. They promote health and wellness in aging populations, addressing medical conditions like Alzheimer's disease, autoimmune disorders, and multiple sclerosis, and providing education and resources for Medicare.

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